Servo Block

thingiverse

All credit goes to myyellowminicooper for a unique gauge design that inspired me to take it to the next level. I printed one because they look awesome, and then thought, can I make it move? This is the simplest way I could think of to animate the gauge, and it works beautifully! To get started, you'll need a SG90 micro servo and something to drive it. So, drill out the center of the gauge face frame to 5mm to clear the stepper shaft. Then, drill the needle center out to 2mm for the stepper shaft screw. Alternatively, you could design a new needle with a spacer. Next, print the stepper block. After that, create a spacer with a 5mm diameter and a 2mm hole, adjusting its length so that when you screw the needle to the stepper, there's clearance and the needle isn't clamping down on the frame. Hook up the stepper to an Arduino or similar device, and you'll have a working gauge in no time! The only downside is that the servo can be a bit noisy, and it sticks out the back. I'm planning to experiment with stretching the print in the Z-axis to see if I can improve its performance.